Ex-Ford driver Hand to make IMSA return at Sebring
Ex-Ford driver Joey Hand will make his IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship return in next weekend's Sebring 12 Hours season finale.
Hand, 41, will join Heinricher Racing at the wheel of the Meyer Shank Racing-run #57 Acura NSX GT3 alongside Misha Goikhberg and Trent Hindman for the Florida endurance classic.
He replaces team regular Alvaro Parente, who is away on GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup duty at Paul Ricard with the K-PAX Bentley team.
It will mark Hand's first IMSA outing since the factory Chip Ganassi Racing-operated Ford GT Le Mans program was wound down after last year's Petit Le Mans.
“I go way back with Mike (Shank),” commented Hand. “We raced against each other in Formula Atlantics and have always talked about putting a deal together, and it finally happened.
#57 Heinricher Racing w/MSR Curb-Agajanian Acura NSX GT3, GTD: Alvaro Parente, Misha Goikhberg
Photo by: Art Fleischmann
“I watched the Acura last year, specifically at Sebring when Justin [Marks] ran the car. We talked a lot about handling and how the balance of the car was on that track. The team engineers have also been a huge help in getting me prepared.
"They’ve sent over a ton of data and I’ve been focusing on the little stuff – where all of the buttons are and how the steering wheel is – because once you have that all down, then everything else should be pretty easy.”
Hand has been on the sidelines since the conclusion of the Ford GTLM program, which ran from 2016 until last year and saw the American driver take class victory in the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2016 alongside Sebastien Bourdais and Dirk Muller.
Prior to that he enjoyed an association with BMW from 2009 to 2014 that encompassed three seasons in the American Le Mans Series and then three in the DTM before he returned to US competition in a Ganassi-run Riley-Ford Prototype for the 2015 season.
Previous article
Garcia, Taylor win title after penalty for sister Corvette
Next article
Corvette C8.R had title potential from the get-go - Garcia
About this article
| Series | IMSA |
| Event | Sebring 12 Hours |
| Drivers | Joey Hand |
| Teams | Meyer Shank Racing |
| Author | Jamie Klein |
24 Hours of Daytona Video Recap
24 Hours of Daytona: Fourth Place for Ferrari
Watch the entire Rolex 24 in just over a minute
The GTE dilemma that IMSA has created for the WEC
The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s decision to scrap its GT Le Mans class for 2022 raises the question of whether the FIA World Endurance Championship should phase out GTE cars. But it's a much harder decision than it appears on the surface.
Nine things to watch at the 2021 Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona
After a 100-minute sprint race to whet the appetite, the 2021 IMSA SportsCar Championship gets underway properly this weekend. With plenty of significant changes during the winter, here are the key points you need to keep an eye on
Why Magnussen is relishing a fresh start in sportscars
Having gone over seven years without a race win through spells with McLaren, Renault and Haas, Kevin Magnussen's departure from Formula 1 for IMSA with big-hitters Chip Ganassi Racing could give him what he craves most - a chance of success
Oliver Gavin's Corvette Racing highlights
Oliver Gavin has stepped down from the full-time Corvette Racing line-up after a stellar career with the team spanning nearly 20 years. He looks back on a stint that encompassed, among other successes, five Le Mans 24 Hours victories.
How Tandy joined an exclusive club of endurance legends
Victory at last year's Spa 24 Hours meant Nick Tandy had completed the unofficial sextuple crown of the world's six biggest endurance races, becoming the first Briton to do so. Ahead of his fresh start with Corvette Racing, he explains how he did it…
The 12 greatest Sebring 12 Hours ranked
The 2020 edition of the Florida sportscar classic is finally taking place this weekend, eight months after its traditional date in March. That meant there was plenty of time for Motorsport.com to pour over its previous 67 races and select the best.
Tony Kanaan’s top 10 races – in his own words
The 2004 IndyCar champion and 2013 Indy 500 winner Tony Kanaan probably hasn’t yet driven his final IndyCar race, but we still asked him for the 10 most significant races of his career. He explained his choices to David Malsher-Lopez.
Why the GTE ruleset looks to have run its course
The GTE ruleset has served sportscar racing in both Europe and the United States well over the past decade. But now there are clear signs that the end of its life is in sight as manufacturer support continues to fade.
